Vending machine and control mechanism therefor



Dec. 8, 1936. MA|TLAND 2,063,108

VENDING MACHINE AND CONTROL MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed June 8, 1936 vINVENTOR Frank Ma fland BY {ML HIS ATTORNEY.

(para/0r Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENDINGMACHINE AND CONTROL MECHANISM THEREFOR 2 Claims.

This invention relates to vending machines, and control mechanismstherefor, and has for a particular object the provision of a novelselective mechanism adapted to select a token or coin after apredetermined number of operations of the vending machine with which itis associated, and separate such token or coin from those previouslydeposited, and direct such selected coin into a receptacle separate fromthat which receives the bulk or majority of the coins or tokensdeposited in the machine.

More particularly stated, an object of the invention is to provide amechanism adapted for use with conventional types of coin control devicefor use with vending machines, whereby the coins or tokens deposited inthe machine may be selectively directed into separate receptacles in apredetermined ratio, corresponding or representing respectively the netincome for the proprietor of the vending machine, and the commission orparticipating profit for the operator thereof.

An additional object of the invention lies in the provision with such aselective mechanism of a tally or counter'device for visually indicatingeither the proprietary or participating income of the vending machine.

Other objects and novel provisions of the invention will appear in viewof the following detailed description, taken together with the appendeddrawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a vending machine to whichthe invention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my novel coin control taken along thelines 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the control mechanism shown in Fig. 2, andis taken along the lines 33 thereof;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the lines 44 ofFig. 3 and includes sections of the coin receptacles and housingstructure of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan detail of the coin control shown in Fig. 2 andis taken along the lines 5-5 of the latter, while Fig. 6 is a detail ofthe counter or tally mechanism taken along the lines 66 of Fig. 4, andincludes circuit connections therefor.

My invention is particularly adapted to be incorporated withconventional types of coin control mechanism such as generally indicatedat ID in the figures of the drawing, and such as is particularlydescribed in detail in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,026,921, granted to W.A. Tratsch and B. Grunig, dated January '7, 1936, or to other similartypes of coin slide or control device well known in the art.

Such coin controls it] usually include a frame member l2 (see Figs. 1and 2 particularly) in which is slidably seated a coin slide 14 having acoin-receiving aperture [6 in which a coin is deposited by the userpreliminary to reciprocating the slide M in the frame [2 for theoperation of the vending or other device. Carried below the slide l4 inframe I2 is a second coin slide l8 having a coin discharge aperture 28(Fig. 5) into which a coin originally deposited in aperture 15 isultimately deposited after the slide i4 is urged inwardly, and the coinis thereafter discharged 15 from the control member I0 into a suitablereceptacle such as that marked operator in Fig. 4.

The detailed structure and operation of the coin control mechanism shownin the drawing herewith is not discussed except insofar as may benecessary for a proper illustration of the present invention, referencebeing had otherwise to the above-mentioned patent.

In Fig. 5, my improved selector mechanism is shown to comprise a ratchetwheel 24 mounted 25 for rotation on the under side of the slide frame [2by means of a screw pin 26, and mounted on frame l2 to one side of theratchet wheel 24 is a locking pawl 28 normally spring-urged intoengagement with ratchet 24 to prevent movement in one direction(counterclockwise in Fig. 5).

Pivotally mounted on the underside of the coin slide l4 and. adjacentthe upper rear end of the latter, as shown in Fig. 5, is an elongatedpawl 30 having an offset end portion with a depending tooth or pawlmember 32, and a spring 34 adapted normally to urge the pawl 32 in adirection substantially lateral to or toward the slide l4. Thus, whenthe slide it is moved inwardly by the operator, the pawl tooth 32 willbe advanced into engagement with one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel24 and rotate the latter through a part of one revolution. Upon thereturn of the slide, the pawl 32, being suitably pitched relative to thepitch of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 24, will slip over the latterinto normal position for another operation of the coin control, thelocking pawl 28 being operative to prevent any movement of the ratchetwheel during the return stroke of the slide [4 and the pawl 30 carriedthereby.

The ratchet wheel 24, as shown in Fig. 4, has a collar portion 36 fromwhich is extended a switch finger 38 having an end cam portion 40extended in a direction parallel to the axis of the ratchet wheel suchthat the cam portion describes a circular path eccentric of the path ofthe ratchet wheel when the latter is rotated by actuation of the slideI4.

Suitably positioned relative to the coin slide frame I2 and attached tothe wall II of the vending device, is a switch member 42 of the usualjack or spring type which includes a pair of superposed elongatedcontact springs 43 and 44 having the contact spring 43 extended beyondthe companion spring 44 to lie in the path of the cam portion 40 of theswitch finger 38 in such manner that the rotation of the latterperiodically engages the extended portion of the spring 43 to engage thecontact of the latter with the contact of spring 44 and thereby closethe switch.

collar portion 36 of the latter, is a coin deflector plate 46 in theform of a rectangular plate extended in a plane substantially parallelto'that of the slide and frame members of the coin control I0, exceptthat the outermost end portion of the plate 46 opposite the collar 36 issloped downwardly so as to provide a descending surface for coinsdeposited thereon. As a ratchet wheel 24 is rotated by the actuation ofthe slide member I4, the deflector plate 46 is similarly rotated and isso dimensioned and positioned relative to the discharge aperture 20 inthe coin control mechanism as to be periodically positioned therebelowonce during each cycle of revolution of the ratchet wheel 36. Thepositioning of the contact finger 38 and the deflector plate 46 oncollar 36 of the ratchet wheel 24 is such'that when the plate 46 isapproaching the position below the aperture 20 (full line Fig. from thedotted line position (Fig. 5), the cam portion 40 of finger 38 will beapproaching the contact spring 43 and will engage the latter to close acircuit through the switch 42 upon completion of the movement of theratchet wheel 24 and the deflector 46 from dotted. line position to fullline position (Fig. 5).

Positioned within the vending machine housing and to the left of theside wall 9 thereof (Fig. 4), is a coin discharge chute 48 having itsopening registered with the discharge opening 20 in the coin controlmechanism when the latter is in full stroke position, and adapted toreceive the coins normally discharged from such mechanism with eachoperation of the latter by the user. However, as shown in Fig. 4, onceduring each cycle of revolution of the ratchet wheel 24 the deflectorplate 46 will be positioned beneath the coin discharge aperture 20 sothat a-coin dischargedtherefrom, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4,will be deflected from the coin chute 48 into a second receptacle chute50, indicated in the latter figure as proprietor.

Mounted upon the side wall 9 of the vending machine housing is a tallyor counter mechanism generally indicated at 52, and comprising a usualform of counter mechanism 54 and an electro-magnet 56 having an armatureand lever arm assembly 58 operatively connected to the actuating shaftof the counter 54. The winding of the electro-magnet 56 is connected incircuit with the switch 42 and a source of supply- 65 as shown in Fig.6, and is adapted to be operated once for each closure of the latterswitch by the switch finger 38 and the pawl and ratchet mechanismassociated with the slide I4, as above de scribed.

The tally or counter 54 may be of the visually Operation In the use ofthe device, a proper coin may be inserted in the coin receiving apertureI6 in the slide I2, shown in Fig. l, whereupon the user may push theslide I4 inwardly and release the vending mechanism in the usual manner,the deposited coin being retained within the coin slide momentarily whenthe latter is reciprocated to its normal position for the reception ofanother coin and the deposited coin moved rearwardly (Fig. 3) toward thecoin discharge opening 20, and assuming the deflector plate 46 to be inthe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, the coin so dischargedwill normally descend into the chute 48 and thence into the coinreceptacle marked operator (Fig. 4). I

However, assuming the deflector plate 46 to be in the full line positionas shown in Fig. 5, the coin discharged from the aperture 20 will fallonto the said plate and the coin will descend by gravity into the chute50 and into the proprietors receptacle or bin, the angular dispositionof the plate 46 being such that the coin will readily slide toward thechute 50.

Subsequent deposits of coins in the corresponding reciprocations of theslide I4 by the user of the vending machine, will step the deflectorplate 46 from the full line position of Figs. 4. and 5 away from thedischarge opening 20, and thus permit subsequently discharged coins todescend intorthe chute 48 and the operators receptacle, until thedeflector plate 46 is again stepped around into the position shown inFigs. 2, 4, and 5. c

It will be observed that once during each cycle of operation of thedeflector plate 46 and ratchet 24, the depending contact finger 38 willengage the extended contact spring 43 to close the switch generallyindicated at 42, and thus close a circuit through the counterelectro-magnet 56, as shown in Fig. 6, and move the counter to indicateone additional unit.

The novel coin control mechanism provided by the present invention isparticularly adapted. for application to coin controlled vending devicesof all types using a coin control mechanism of similar or analogousconstruction to that shown in the drawing herewith for purposes ofillustration. And a particular object of the invention is to providemeans in such devices for depositing a predetermined number of coinsfrom the total number of coins inserted in the vending device, into aseparate bin or receptacle so that the commission of the operator of themachine for example, can be automatically separated from the grossincome of the machine, and also the amount of such commission orparticipation may be visually indicated at all times for examination byeither the proprietor or the operator of the machine; and to furtherfacilitate the accounting between the proprietors and the operatorsparticipation in the gross income of the machine, the receptacles inwhich the respective shares of such income, corresponding to the coinsalternately deposited in the two receptacles shown in Fig. 4, areprovided with separate and locked doors, as shown at 62 and 64 in Fig.1, so that the proprietor or the operator, provided with a proper keymay at any time remove the contents of his respective coin bin orreceptacle.

The ratio of the coins, respectively deposited in the operators andproprietors bins, may be determined by the number of ratchet teeth 23provided on the ratchet wheel 24, and for this purpose the ratchet wheelhas been attached by means of a screw pin 26 (Fig. to facilitate theready interchange of ratchet wheels, the ratchet Wheels corresponding toa change in the frequency with which the deflector plate 46 will bepositioned below aperture 20.

While I have described a preferred form of construction in particulardetail, it will be apparent that modifications and variations may bemade in the construction and disposition of parts shown herein forillustrative purposes without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and it will also be apparent that my control mechanism isapplicable to a wide variety of vending devices in general, and I do notwish to be restricted to any of the limitations recited herein except asmay be hereinafter provided by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A coin control mechanism for vending machines, comprising a framemember, a coin slide movable therein and having a coin-receivingaperture, coin discharge means operably associated with said slide todischarge coins deposited in the said receiving aperture therein formovement into a coin receptacle; a ratchet wheel mounted on said framefor rotation in a plane substantially parallel with and below said coinslide, pawl means on said slide for moving said ratchet wheel responsiveto movement of said slide, a deflecting plate carried by and rotatablewith said ratchet wheel to deflect movement 01' coins discharged by saiddischarge means away from a said coin receptacle.

2. A coin control mechanism including a frame and a coin slidereciprocable therein to eject a deposited coin for movement into a coinreceptacle, and selector means including a ratchet wheel pivotallymounted on the underside of said frame, apawl mechanism carried bysaidslide and operable to step said ratchet wheel once for eachreciprocation of the slide, and a selector plate pivotally supported formovement with said ratchet wheel beneath said slide and inclined awayfrom the latter such that upon rotation of said ratchet wheel byreciprocation of the slide, said selector plate will periodically bepositioned beneath said slide to deflect the movement of coins ejectedtherefrom away from said coin receptacle.

FRANK K. MAITLAND.

